By the advancements in the stem cell research in recent years, clinical application of stem cell has already shifted from the fundamental research stages to the developmental stages. In the treatment of diseases with stem cells, the damaged functions of cells and tissues of the patients are supplemented by said cells and organs newly differentiated from the stem cells. Here, the treatment with stem cells can be largely divided into two according to the manner of differentiation of the stem cells into somatic cells or tissues.
One of them includes in vitro culture of stem cells under particular conditions to allow differentiation into desired somatic cells or tissues, and transplantation of the obtained somatic cells or tissues into the body of a recipient. For example, since pluripotent stem cells such as ES cells, iPS cells and the like are feared to form teratoma when directly transplanted to the body, they are generally differentiated into particular somatic cells or tissues in vitro to certainly eliminate the teratoma forming ability and then transplanted into the body.
The other embodiment includes direct transfer of stem cells into the body. This method has been reported to show effects on diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aplastic anemia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, collagen disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, lifestyle-related diseases, cancer and the like.
Mesenchymal stem cells are known as stem cells that are present in the bone marrow and the like of mammals, and differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes and the like. Due to their multipotency, mesenchymal stem cells are drawing attention as a transplantation material for the regenerative therapy of many tissues. That is, a “regenerative therapy by cell transplantation”, which regenerates tissues lost by diseases and disorders, which could not be regenerated by the conventional treatment methods, by using mesenchymal stem cells and recovers the function. Specifically, for example, treatments such as transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to patients with lower leg ischemia (Buerger's disease), transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to the parts affected by periodontal diseases, transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to patients with osteoarthritis and the like have been started or planned.
Trehalose is one kind of disaccharide produced by 1,1-glycosidic linkage of glucoses. Since trehalose imparts sweetness and has high water-holding capacity, it is used for various foods and cosmetics. Moreover, since trehalose stabilizes cellular membranes and suppresses cell injury, it is used as an active ingredient of an organ protection liquid for organ transplantation. There have been developed superior organ preservation solutions containing trehalose such as ET-Kyoto solution, New ET-Kyoto solution and the like (patent documents 1 and 2, non-patent document 1).
Hydroxyethylstarch is one of etherified starches, and used as an adhesive, an emulsifier, a paste and the like.
Dextran is one kind of polysaccharides made from glucose, and widely used as a thickener, a moisturizer and the like in the fields of pharmaceutical products and cosmetics.